


An Offer You Can't Refuse

by Ceroji



Series: Straw Hat Family [1]
Category: One Piece
Genre: Gen, Luffy is clueless, Mafia AU, Meeting the Straw Hats but modern, Slight Violence
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-09-02
Updated: 2017-09-02
Packaged: 2018-12-22 19:21:48
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 8,098
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11974026
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Ceroji/pseuds/Ceroji
Summary: Luffy becomes the head of a mafia. Him and the Straw Hat family work their way up the ranks. Everything is going smoothly, except for the fact that Luffy has no idea.





	An Offer You Can't Refuse

**Author's Note:**

  * For [GalexisSpringbreeze](https://archiveofourown.org/users/GalexisSpringbreeze/gifts).



> I thought it would be funny if Luffy accidentally becomes a family head and has no idea. Let me know what you think!

He met Shanks when he was little. To be more accurate, he was raised by Shanks after Garp was called to a different city when the Kaido Family was causing a little too much damage. Garp was seen as a hero by a majority of the towns in the Grand Line, named by its citizens for its grand and wild weather, after arresting the head of the worst yet most well-known mafia in the area’s history: Gol D. Roger.

As much as Garp hated the idea that he had to leave his adorable grandson in the hands of a notorious boss, he knew he had no other choice. Makino was too sweet to watch over Luffy for longer than a few days. She wouldn’t be able to protect him if anyone tried to kidnap him to get revenge on Garp. And Dadan had to skip town (or maybe the country) after the police caught wind of her latest fraud. She was selling endangered animals to some big shot noble when they got in an argument and the noble sold her out to the police.

Asking a friend in the force was out of the question. Luffy was only seven but dear lord was he a blabber mouth. If anyone asked who his dad was the kid would respond “Dragon” without a second thought. This would just end up with Luffy being constantly under supervision due to his dad’s involvement in the Revolutionaries who were trying to overthrow the current government known as the Tenryuubito due to the amount of power they held over the Grand Line.

Garp knew he would only be gone for a year at most so it wasn’t like Luffy would be influenced too much by Shanks. Right?

Wrong. Shanks wasn’t one of the most violent family heads but he was one of the more influential. Luckily, his power meant few groups even attempted to get near him much less challenge him. This, however, only served to make him seem that much cooler to an impressionable kid.

Living in Fuusha in the same place as Shanks for a few months meant Luffy was able to see everything Shanks did first hand. He was in the kitchen getting a snack of leftover ham when Benn came into the apartment with a folder stuffed full of papers. Luffy eavesdropped over the conversation Benn had with Shanks. He heard something about Yasopp and smashed windows. Shanks angrily muttered a few words back to Benn before dropping Luffy off at Makino’s bar for the night. When he was picked up the next afternoon, Yasopp had moved into the apartment a couple members of the Red Hair group shared. Aside from Luffy there was Shanks, Benn, Lucky Roo, and now Yasopp.

A few days later, Luffy had been sent to bed for the night when he heard the apartment door open. He stood by the door of his bedroom so he could hear some of the conversation. The man that came in, Mihawk or Miwalk or something, was telling Shanks about an up and coming group of thieves led by Higuma that was making waves in Fuusha, which was under Shanks’ protection seeing as how he lived in the town. As an informant to the police, Mihawk couldn’t step in. Shanks asked Mihawk to wait there until he got back so Luffy wouldn’t be in danger.

The first time Luffy actually _saw_ Shanks fight was about seven months after Garp dropped him off. They were on their way to the grocery store to stock up on meat and sake for the week when a group of people surrounded them.

“Well if it isn’t Red Hair. I never knew you had a kid. That explains why you made your men do all the work the last time we met. In any case, as long as we take you down here we’ll destroy the Red Hairs. Then we can finally take over that bar and have that cute barmaid to ourselves,” the man said as he gripped his knife and moved towards Shanks. The rest followed suit and pulled out their weapons. Shanks sighed and looked at Luffy.

“What I’m about to do right now? You should only do if people are going to hurt your friends. And he threatened Makino, so I need to make sure he can’t hurt her. Okay?” Luffy nodded and let Shanks stand in front of him so he could shield Luffy while still being able to defeat the thieves. Luffy watched his temporary guardian in awe. He knew Shanks was strong but not this strong. Everything was over in under a minute. After that incident, Higuma and his men were arrested while Luffy began to follow Shanks around more than he already did. He wasn’t exactly sure what Shanks’ job was but it had to be cool if Shanks was able to protect people.

When Garp came to pick Luffy up a month later, he noticed something was off about his grandson. It took a while to figure out exactly _what_ was wrong but when he noticed he was fuming.

“Luffy…Where’d you get that hat?” Garp stared at Luffy through the rearview mirror of the car he was driving. His adorably idiotic grandson looked at him in confusion for a minute before feeling the straw hat on his head.

“Oh, this? Shanks gave it to me!” Despite trying to rein in his anger as much as he could, Garp nearly crashed six times in the thirty minutes it took to drive from the restaurant he picked Luffy up at to his house in another town.

 

 

He met Ace and Sabo when Dadan was able to come back to the country. Garp was assigned to be in charge of training new recruits permanently after destroying a noble’s house during a fight with some of the higher ranked members under Big Mom. He wasn’t allowed to take Luffy with him, since the police had no idea he was even raising his grandson.

Dadan lived with the rest of the thieves under her command in a rundown house on the edge of the city. The house was next to a garbage dump in an area neglected by the police. The thieves barely had enough money to feed themselves, much less the three bottomless pits they suddenly found in their care.

They raised Ace from when he was a baby. Sabo moved in with them the year before Luffy came. The older two originally wanted nothing to do with Luffy, but couldn’t stop him from following them into the nearby forest to scavenge for food. When Ace stole money from a member of the Bluejam Family, Porchemy caught Luffy who tripped over a tree root as the boys ran. He wouldn’t tell the man where the other two were. As he refused to answer, Porchemy became more enraged. No matter how much he punched and beat the kid, Luffy refused to sell out Ace and Sabo. Before things could escalate to a more permanent problem, however, the older two showed up and managed to beat Porchemy into unconsciousness with metal pipes they found. The next day, Ace stole a bottle of sake from Dadan along with three small cups and the boys made an oath of brotherhood.

When Ace turned seventeen he left Dadan’s house and moved a few towns away to pursue his interest in construction. To be honest, he preferred burning down buildings rather than building them but at least this way he could help demolish the old ones. A year later he quit and found himself involved with the Whitebeard Family after being asked to join. Despite the fact that Ace had tried to set one of the buildings they owned on fire they accepted him into their family with open arms. No one knew what you had to do to be taken in by Whitebeard, but enough people apparently met the qualifications to make the Whitebeards the largest family in all of the Grand Line.

When Sabo turned seventeen he worked for a small bookstore. While he never went to a formal school after running away from his noble heritage, he managed to impress the owner with his passion for knowledge and was hired to help organize the books. He soon began to work with the owner, a man named Hack, on the store’s finances. Sabo questioned why they were paying such a large fee to the government only for Hack to shake his head. If they didn’t pay the fee then the store would be torn down. It was an old building that the government wanted to demolish in order to build something that matched the other modern businesses on the street. By the time Sabo’s second year of working at the bookstore rolled around, he found Hack and himself working for Dragon as Revolutionaries to try to change the government in order to get people the freedom they deserved to live how they wanted in their city.

 

 

He met Zoro when he was seventeen. Luffy went from town to town, not knowing what to do but meeting all kinds of new people as he traveled. He first saw Zoro when he was walking past a park in Red Line. Red Line was one of the biggest towns in the Grand Line and was home to numerous mafias. There was someone meditating with three swords lying in the grass in front of them. Naturally, Luffy was curious and approached the teen. After a few minutes of Luffy’s non-stop chattering about his swords, Zoro stood up and quickly walked away. Luffy shrugged it off and left to look for a place to stay. Any money he managed to get was spent on meat so he couldn’t exactly stay in a motel. A few hours and one dine-and-dash later, Luffy was back where he started. Broke and apparently sleeping outside. He walked back to the park to find a tree he could sleep in for the night. It would be warmer and a little safer than sleeping in the open somewhere.

He had just passed by an alley when he heard sounds of fighting. Luffy’s interest was piqued. Once he backtracked a few feet to the entrance he froze. The swordsman he met earlier that day was fighting six other people. Using three swords. And winning. Luffy was mesmerized by the grace the teen moved with. That is, until Luffy saw one of the men aim to stab the swordsman in the back with a pocketknife. Without thinking, Luffy ran at the man with the knife and tackled him to the ground. Zoro finished off the rest of the attackers with a swift swing of his swords. Luffy punched the man he tackled until he felt a satisfying crack. He stood up and let the man run before turning to face the angry swordsman.

“Sorry to get involved in your fight! That coward was aiming for your back though, and I couldn’t just stand by and watch that happen,” Luffy explained with a smile. Zoro was stunned. This kid, short and lanky, fought for his pride. That was rare in this city. Most people wouldn’t have bothered to so much as glance at the fight much less get involved. Zoro smirked. He found something interesting.

“Didn’t think I could handle it myself?”

“Nah you probably could. You use three swords. That’s so cool! Where did you learn that? Does your mouth ever cramp up from holding one? Have you ever chipped a tooth from it? Have you tried to hold four? I bet that’d look so cool!” Zoro listened to Luffy ramble on about random things, responding every so often when Luffy paused long enough. After an hour of talking, Zoro yawned and felt his eyes begin to droop.

“I think I’m gonna head home for the night. See ya.” Luffy grinned widely and waved goodbye. The two met the next day at the park where he learned that Zoro went there every day to meditate because it was practically always empty and let him concentrate more than he could at the dojo he ran while his older sister was overseas learning new sword techniques. As they talked, Luffy mentioned that he had to try to find a new place to sleep after the police kicked him out of the tree at three in morning. “Wait. You don’t have a house or something? Why didn’t you say anything last night? I have a spare room in my apartment and was looking for a roommate to split the rent with.”

 

 

He met Nami a few weeks after he moved in with Zoro. She was shoved by someone running through the crowded street and dropped a few of her bags. Luffy helped pick them up only to see a line of bruises running up the length of her arm. They were faint but visible if you looked close enough. Before he could ask about them Nami yelled at him to mind his own business and ran off. Four days later Luffy and Zoro were walking past a building when they heard the sound of glass breaking. A girl sprinted out of the door and into the street. She turned and ran straight into the pair. A tall man with a crooked nose came out of the same door.

“What did I tell you Nami? Every mistake you make just adds more to your debt. And running away will place your poor sister in danger.” The man -Arlong according to Zoro- was known for tricking girls who just moved into the city. He would offer to let them work for him. Many took the job because it promised good money and they couldn’t risk not finding a job. Arlong would then force them to sell drugs or their body, depending on their looks. He would use his connections to find the girls’ family members so he could keep his workers in place. He threatened Nami by claiming he would burn down her sister’s tangerine farm, the only thing they had left of their mother and Nojiko’s source of income.

She wasn’t strong enough to physically fight him and the police would believe him over her since he worked closely with a corrupt officer named Nezumi. There wasn’t any way out. That is, until Luffy stepped in. He saw how Nami was shaking in front of him. She was terrified.

“Do you need help?” He whispered so Arlong wouldn’t hear. Her body stiffened and she turned around.

“Ha! As if. I can take care of everything myself. Just leave me alone already,” she bit out with steely eyes. Her words were confident but it couldn’t hide the shiver of fear that raked her body as Arlong stepped closer.

“I think you need to learn you place,” Arlong said as he cracked his knuckles. Nami took a step back and clutched her shoulder. The mark Arlong made on all those who worked for him was covered by her shirt but it felt like it was burning. Luffy placed his hand over hers. Tears fell from Nami’s eyes at the gentle contact. Arlong and all of her ‘customers’ had cold hands. They made her freeze, unable to move. But Luffy, someone she just met, filled her with strength and warmth.

“Please…Help me…” That was all Luffy needed to hear. He squeezed Nami’s shoulder and stepped in front of her. Arlong scoffed and went to punch Luffy, who dodged. He landed a couple hits on Luffy, nearly broke one of his arms too, before he was ultimately knocked out. Luffy headed to a payphone and called Garp so they could be sure Arlong wouldn’t be able to actually burn down Nojiko’s fields.

Zoro wrapped Luffy’s arm before they headed to the Alabasta Tea Shop. Apparently injuries like that were common enough at the dojo that Zoro learned enough basic first aid to handle it. Luffy had met the owner of the shop, Vivi, a week ago and learned she needed to find someone trustworthy to help her manage the store. It was a family owned business but her father was in poor health and couldn’t help out. Chaka and Pell helped as much as they weren’t good enough with numbers to help do the finances. Vivi welcomed them with open arms and immediately hit it off with Nami.

 

 

He met Usopp at the train station. Luffy didn’t have a job so he spent the day wandering the city until he ran into Zoro. They never planned to meet up but somehow always did. It helped that Zoro got lost almost every day on his way back from the dojo.

Usopp was spray painting the wall with a picture of two giants battling on an island with a volcano. To say Luffy was impressed would be an understatement. He walked over to the artist and talked about how cool he thought the painting was. Usopp started boasting, claiming he was the best artist in the entire city. Gullible Luffy believed him. As Usopp was adding the finishing touches, the police showed up. They started to rant about how it was illegal to deface public property when Luffy laughed, grabbed his new friend’s wrist, and bolted. Usopp pulled out a slingshot, grabbed a few rocks from the ground, and fired at the cop chasing them. He landed hit on the shoulder. The cop pulled out a taser and aimed it at the pair. The trigger was pulled but they moved behind a garbage can to avoid it. Then, Luffy rushed the cop and jabbed him in his side. After the man landed a few hits on Luffy’s face, giving him a black eye, he was knocked back. Seizing the chance, Luffy grabbed Usopp and ran. He used a few of the shortcuts he knew to put distance between them and the police officer.

The teens nearly crashed into Zoro as they came out of the narrow gap between two businesses. Zoro didn’t seem surprised at the new face and walked with them back to their apartment. It was almost as though he expected Luffy to bring people with him. Usopp ended up crashing on the couch and eventually moved in. The young artist made money selling some of his work and covered the half of the rent Luffy was supposed to pay.

 

 

He met Sanji at the best restaurant in town. The Baratie had been on a few tv shows and was a tourist hot spot for its food and fights. Nami made a reservation a month in advance to get a table for the group. She earned enough money while working for Vivi and wanted to treat Luffy as a way of thanking him. Every time she tried to say it he blew her off with “It’s what nakama do.” He couldn’t pass up free food, though, so this would have to do.

Sanji had just served them their meals, looking slightly disgusted at the way Luffy was shoveling pieces of steak into his mouth, when the front door was kicked in. He groaned and excused himself from the group. The man that barged in was some sort of family head, and he claimed he was here to kill Zeff and take the restaurant as his turf. Another man, wearing a hat with a giant, fake pearl on it, followed after him. The last person to come in was wearing a simple striped hat and introduced himself as Gin. Sanji and a few of the other chefs fought the family members. A minute later, a chef was thrown across the room and landed in Luffy’s plate.

“Oi! What do you think you’re doing?! You ruined my food!” Luffy launched himself at the leader, Don Krieg. It would’ve been a quick and easy fight if only Krieg wasn’t wearing spiked gloves- seriously, who does that. Luffy won but got a nasty set of puncture holes in his cheek for it. Zoro fought Pearl and defeated him without getting a scratch. The man may have been a body guard for Don Krieg but jeez was he weak. The only reason he was considered remotely strong was because he fought by flailing his arms around and it was unpredictable. Sanji was against Gin. Unlike Pearl, Gin actually had some combative skills. Growing up surrounded by thugs clashing in the Baratie gave Sanji enough experience and practice to take down those that were overconfident.

As things settled down and the Don Krieg Family left, all of the customers resumed eating. Sanji lit his cigarette as he studied the group Luffy was with. They didn’t seem like your typical mafia but who knows. Their head was even against wasting food. Although, it seemed more like Luffy just wanted to eat everything that looked even remotely edible… Sanji definitely wouldn’t mind being around the gorgeous orange haired beauty all the time. Luffy raised his hand to call a waiter over before ordering more meat, much to the chagrin of the sole woman in the group.

 

 

He met Chopper three months later. Zoro, Usopp, Nami, and Sanji were practically always near Luffy. Whenever they weren’t at their jobs they were all found together. Zoro’s sister finally returned from overseas so she could run the dojo again. As much as he loved helping others embrace the joy of the sword, he would much rather participate in actual fights than mock ones. Kuina had no problem with it, seeing as this just gave her the perfect place to practice.

The five of them were walking around Red Line, being greeted by the various people Luffy had befriended over his time in the city. They were walking past a food stand on the side of the road when the vendor stopped them.

“Well, if it isn’t Luffy! I haven’t seen you in a while. Thanks, again, for taking care of Wapol and his men last week. Without you I would’ve been out of business!” Luffy laughed the man off, claiming it was no big deal, and continued on his way with a shish kabob in each hand. They stopped by an abandoned building that Usopp decided was perfect for his next work, a gentle and happy looking goat he called the Going Merry. Once he was finished he made a small straw hat towards the bottom. Luffy wasn’t sure why but straw hats are cool so it’s fine. They were admiring Merry when someone laughed behind them. Luffy turned around and glared at the group of people.

“You call that that art? It looks more like trash. A picture as disgraceful as this could only be made by a pathetic artist.” Buggy stood with his hands in his pockets. He was the head of the Buggy Family or, as they were more commonly known as, the Clowns. His men laughed along with him. “What? Mad that I made fun of that pitiful drawing? Why don’t you fight us? I’ve been wanting to see how strong you Straw Hats are, anyways.”

“I don’t know what Shanks’ hat has to do with this but I won’t let you make fun of Usopp!” Zoro smirked at Luffy’s response. He knew Luffy was oblivious to his status as their head, the raven haired teen just thought they were all nakama, but it was another thing to see it. Luffy immediately jumped towards Buggy with his arm pulled back ready to punch. It was a mad brawl. Swords and knives clashed. Blood splattered on the pavement. Clothes became torn. Despite being outnumbered, Luffy and the rest were making steady progress. Then, Buggy made a mistake.

Buggy aimed for Nami who was defending herself from being stabbed by a knife with her bo staff. He pulled a gun out of a pocket on the inside of his jacket and shot at her. Luffy pushed Nami back, away from the man attacking her, and blocked the shot. The bullet went into his rib cage, just below his heart. Zoro was the first to react. He slashed the second in command, Cabaji, and ran towards Luffy while dispatching any of the Clowns that got in his way.

Sanji was next and acted in a similar manner, brutally kicking Buggy into the wall. He was more concerned about getting to Luffy than the now unconscious Buggy. Usopp rapid fired his slingshot at Mohji before vaulting over the boxes he was using as cover. Nami caught Luffy as he staggered and started to fall. She knelt on the ground while holding his head in her lap. Luffy had his hands covering the bullet wound. Blood seeped through his fingers. His red shirt was rapidly turning darker.

“W-W-What do we d-do?” Nami questioned through her sobs. She wasn’t paying enough attention and Luffy, the one who saved her twice now, is paying the consequences.

“Shit. I don’t know. We can’t exactly take him to the hospital,” Sanji muttered as he ground his cigarette out on the ground.

“I don’t think he’d make it even if we sped. He’s losing blood too fast.” To anyone else, Zoro would have seemed dissociated from the situation, like it didn’t concern him. Everyone in the group knew how much it impacted him though. He was Luffy’s best friend, after all. The two of them could communicate through a single look.

“Hey...I’m -cough- fine…Is Nami -cough- okay?” Blood trickled from the corner of his mouth as he talked.

“You idiot. Worry about yourself first…” Usopp wanted to do something, anything, to help. He couldn’t even offer words of comfort for his friend- head, he reminded himself. He turned towards the sound of heavy breathing that was getting closer.

“I heard –pant- a gunshot. Is everyone –pant- okay?” The boy was slightly younger than Luffy. He was short with a mess of brown hair sticking up on each side. A blue backpack hung from his shoulders. Chopper started to regain his breath and looked up to observe the situation. The second he noticed the others were surrounding a body he ripped off his backpack and was kneeling next to Luffy. “Details.”

“B-Buggy shot at me but Luffy stood in front and took the hit. H-He’s losing so much _blood_ …” Nami had partially composed herself, or at least calmed down enough to not shake Luffy and cause further damage.

Chopper carefully removed Luffy’s hands from where they were clutching the wound. He winched slightly at the amount of blood still pouring out. Taking a deep breath he grabbed a roll of gauze from his bag. Demands for water were made and Usopp ran off to the nearest convenience store –it was truly living up to its name right now. Chopper opened Luffy’s vest so he would be unobstructed. The bullet was pulled out with tweezers. A quiet groan came from Luffy’s throat and Nami squeezed his hand tighter, ignoring the blood on it. After it was removed, Chopper quickly sewed the wound up with a needle he removed from a case in his bag.

“Okay. He should be fine now. To be on the safe side, though, I would prefer if you brought him to the clinic I work at. Kureha won’t call the cops or anything. I promise.” Zoro agreed and picked Luffy up bridal style before following Chopper. They got inside and were promptly ushered upstairs by Kureha. Once Luffy was settled, the crew took various positions around his bed.

“Thanks…Chopper. You’re the best…” Luffy, who was struggling to stay awake before, was now peacefully sleeping. Kureha chuckled as she watched them from the doorway. It was unbelievable how quickly the Straw Hats had sucked her apprentice –she would never say it out loud but she considered him her son- into their pace. While she taught him a lot, he had too much experience healing and stitching wounds for someone of his age. Chopper had been forced to live in an orphanage after his father died and unfortunately the foster parents weren’t the most caring people.

They were forced to bring Chopper to her after one of the other kids nearly took off one of his ears. One threat later and Chopper was living with her. Just as she started to head back to the main level of the clinic, Kureha watched as the girl patted Chopper’s head, who was blushing yet refusing to accept any praise for his work.

 

 

He met Robin at the casino. Usopp was still living with Zoro and Luffy. Sanji and Nami bought the apartments directly next to them. They claimed that the old owners needed more room but anyone else would chalk it up to indirect threats in the form of a swordsman. Sanji was complaining that Luffy ate too much and Nami said they didn’t have the money to keep buying the ridiculous amounts of meat they went through. It didn’t make sense to Luffy why Nami was always the one buying meat but she was good with money so he figured she could get more food for less. Usopp mentioned that there was a casino the next town over that turned out a lot of cash if you were lucky. With Luffy as their leader the rest were sure they could rake in a good amount.

That night they went to Rain Dinners. Luffy was wearing an open red shirt, black jacket, sandals, black shorts, and his normal straw hat. Zoro had a green shirt and tie under his black jacket and black pants. Nami’s hair was in a short pony tail and her dress was white on the top and charcoal grey on the bottom. Usopp wore a yellow shirt under his jacket and a black fedora. Sanji’s black vest was over his blue shirt. Chopper wore shorts like Luffy but had his jacket closed and his pink hat.

Luffy had one role, according to Nami. Not. To. Touch. Anything. She trusted him with her life but not her money. As lucky as the teen was, she knew he would spend it all on food the second she looked away.

Working under Arlong exposed her to all the tricks in the book so she was confident she could win enough funds for them. Of course, Luffy pouted. But he didn’t protest. Not after being promised a perfectly cooked steak by Sanji. There was an empty Blackjack table with enough chairs for them. Next to them was another Blackjack table with a couple people. The dealer, Robin, had on a purple dress with a small slit in the side and a flower hair ornament. Robin dealt the cards so fast it seemed as though she had multiple hands. She looked over at them and winked before getting back to her customers.

After a few losses, Nami managed to make a little over a thousand dollars. Nothing too major but enough to fund them for a while. She turned to let Luffy know they should leave only to notice he was gone. Groaning internally, she looked at the others. A collective shake of heads led them to scan nearby tables. Chopper found him at a poker table, just getting his cards.

“Where did he even get that money? It wasn’t from my winnings,” Nami wondered aloud. Sanji shrugged.

“I don’t know. He must’ve had some on him when he came in. Let’s just go get him before he wastes it.” They rushed over to Luffy only to hear bet all his money. Their jaws dropped. Was he crazy? He doesn’t even know the rules of poker. Usopp was trying to get Luffy to take back his bet but the dealer said that was against the rules. He hung his head in defeat and stepped back to stand besides Chopper. They didn’t even know Luffy _had_ any money so they weren’t really losing anything. It would’ve been nice to keep it though…

All the bets were placed. The players showed their cards at the same time. A three of a kind, straight flush, and royal flush. Nami blinked. A woman had the straight flush. Some burly man had the three of a kind. Luffy had the royal flush. What? Luffy, the one who had no idea how to even play poker, just placed down the ten, jack, queen, king, and ace of spades. Her jaw dropped.

“Oi. Luffy. We gotta go,” Zoro calmly mentioned. He noticed some of the security guards talking into their headsets and moving to surround them. With a nod, Luffy scooped up his winnings and turned around.

“Now, now. You don’t have to be in such a rush,” a voice called from behind one of the security guards. It was Crocodile. Everyone knew you lost a lot of money at Rain Dinners if you were playing Blackjack with the magic hands dealer or poker. Luffy’s big win must’ve made Crocodile suspicious. “Trying to cheat on my watch, huh?”

“What? I didn’t cheat, Sand-man,” Luffy retorted. The veins in Crocodile’s forehead bulged.

“Insults usually work better if they make sense.” Without warning, he grabbed Luffy by his collar and shoved him into the table. The other gamblers swiftly left as Crocodile continuously punched Luffy. Luffy aimed at his face but the attack was cleanly dodged. The others were all busy with their own fights with the security.

Zoro’s fight with Daz Bones, aka Mr. 1, was short yet bloody. They didn’t have the room to move how they wanted so Zoro had the advantage due to practicing in the apartment. Sanji and Bentham were locked in a battle of leg strength. Nami deflected yet another martial arts attack from Paula. Usopp and Chopper fought the Mr. 4 husband and wife pair that utilized a baseball bat and boxing gloves respectively.

With a broken nose and a couple strangely bent fingers, Luffy landed the final hit on Crocodile and sent him flying into the tower of champagne glasses. The drinks sprayed everywhere and covered the Straw Hats’ escape. They left through the back door only to be face to face with Robin. Sirens and gunshots were heard in the background as the police rounded up Crocodile and his workers. He was an informant to the police but they couldn’t let him do as he pleased if they received complaints about fights in his casino.

“It seems as though you’ve taken away my means of living, Mr. Straw Hat,” Robin stated. She didn’t sound angry or surprised. Just neutral. She was using Crocodile since she could eavesdrop on interesting conversations he had with the cops. He even sent her to do investigative work sometimes. Collecting a vast amount of knowledge was her favorite past time so the situation was ideal.

“Did I? Oops. Sorry! Shishishi!”

“How about you let me join your group as a replacement?” While the others were on guard and ready to fight, Luffy simply laughed.

“You want to be our nakama? Sure! I don’t mind! I bet we can help you find a new job.” Robin stared at him in confusion before grinning. There wasn’t a doubt in her mind that Luffy would provide more entertainment than anything she experienced while working for Crocodile.

 

 

He met Franky when the apartment complex the Straw Hats were staying in was scheduled to be demolished. Franky and his men showed up to see what they would need to destroy the building. By this time, the family was already well known. Seven people strong yet able to defeat rivals that numbered in the fifties. Officer Smoker had to deal with the clean up after their fights, since they typically happened in his jurisdiction. The fact that they were able to hold their own against or defeat powerhouses such as the Black Cats, the Clowns, and Crocodile did not go unnoticed.

The demolition was the perfect excuse for an ‘accident’. Ciper Pol 0, one of the elite fighting forces under command of the Tenryuubito, was assigned the job of killing the Straw Hats in their apartment right before the demolition. Their murders would be blamed on the Franky Family under the context that the building was not checked for occupants before it was destroyed. There was only one problem with this plan…The Straw Hats were stronger than CP0.

They were outnumbered but Luffy had beaten the scout, Blueno, before the rest were even on the same floor. Franky heard gunshots and entered the building to see what was happening. He became involved in his own fight once one of the men spilled their true plan –he really needed a zipper to keep his lips sealed. The police tried to cover up what actually happened but it’s impossible to stop information from being spread among the underworld.

Seeing as how the building was already old, it wasn’t surprising when the numerous fights resulted in one of the support beams breaking and the rest of it collapsing. The Franky Family saw the signs before it happened and helped the Straw Hats move their stuff out in time. Then, the second problem of the day –unless you include Luffy tackling Sanji and slamming his head on the cement demanding meat- occurred. The seven of them had nowhere to live.

“Ow! You guys are _super_! Let us handle it!” The blue haired man exclaimed. A week of chaos where the Straw Hats and Franky Family both lived in the Franky House ensued. Construction was aided by Franky’s longtime friend Iceburg and his company Galley-La. They built the house, Thousand Sunny, a few blocks away. It was a three story house with a flat roof that had a garden, since there wasn’t any room for a backyard. It included a kitchen, designed by Sanji for Sanji, a large living room, and dining room on the first floor. The second floor had a library, workout room, and workshop. Seven bedrooms made up the final floor. The rooms weren't that big but everyone hung out on the other floors together so it worked out for them. Nami and Robin each had their own room. Luffy, Zoro, and Sanji shared one, Luffy had the top bunk while Zoro had the bottom and Sanji’s bed was across the room. Chopper and Usopp shared another, their beds also across the room from each other. Three rooms were empty but they figured they would find someone to stay in them at some point.

That point came the next day. With the blame placed on Franky for the apartment collapse, and the infamous Straw Hats no longer living with him, the police tried to arrest him.

“Why doesn’t Franky just live with us?” Luffy didn’t realize he was asking the man to join his family. He didn’t realize the true weight behind his question. He was just trying to help out the man who helped him. “We’ve got three empty rooms. He can just use one of those.” Everyone at the table stared at Luffy, who continued to shove more meat into his mouth. Franky’s lips curled into a smile.

“That sounds like a super offer, Straw Hat.”

 

He met Brook on the street corner. Brook was practically a living legend in the city. Everyone and their grandparents had supposedly seen the man playing some instrument somewhere. A couple of the residents would say he used to own the music store a few blocks over with his friend Yorki before Gekko Moriah, an informer for the police, killed Yorki and kicked everyone out. With police backing, he was untouchable to those who cared enough to step in. It had been about five years since and Brook made his keep from the tips he got on the streets. That is, until he met Luffy.

Anyone who knows Luffy can vouch for his kindness to those considered his nakama. Even if you weren’t directly involved with the family, he would still protect you when need be. They could not, however, claim he was musically inclined. The last time he convinced someone to lend him an instrument to play, it ended poorly. Nami still isn’t sure how the guitar caught on fire when it was drizzling outside but she does know she had to use their savings to pay back the owner.

Laughing as he walked down the street, with people parting just enough for him and the rest of the crew to pass, Luffy paused. His eyes lit up as he heard the faint sound of his favorite song. The others had no other option but to follow their highly enthusiastic leader through back alleys until they arrived at Thriller Bark Street.

“Gather up all of the crew. It’s time to ship out Bink’s brew…” The man singing and playing the violin had an afro which, according to the men in their little group, was a symbol of the utmost respect and bravery. Robin and Nami shared a look before turning their attention back to the performer.

Who had finished his song and was being fawned over by Luffy. Zoro sighed in fond exasperation. Nami chuckled. Chopper and Usopp cheered while Franky, Robin, and Sanji all had one thought: They were going to be using that second empty bedroom sooner than they thought.

There was only one thing left. Moriah still ran the music store. Why someone of his standing wanted such a small business was unknown. It was something Brook felt strongly over and something Luffy wanted to end to help his newest friend. Usopp took care of the teenage girl at the cash register by scaring her with enough fake bugs to make her pass out. Franky gave one strong hit the man in a lion shirt who set up all the merchandise. Luffy and Moriah fought a little longer than the others. At one point, Moriah had managed to grab a keyboard and whack Luffy across the face with it. His head flung to the side with a ‘crack’ as the instrument made contact. Trying to steady himself, he put his weight onto a nearby shelf. The added weight caused the shelf, and Luffy, to collapse. An assortment of guitars fell on top of him.

Moriah started laughing, celebrating his defeat of Straw Hat, and missed the pile on the ground moving. He was overconfident and thought too highly of his strength. Sure, Luffy would have a swollen jaw from the hit and a couple cuts, but this was nothing. Buggy the Clown did more damage to him and the police weren’t even worried about the group of misfits.

Six minutes later, everyone watched from down the street as Smoker rounded up Moriah and his men. Franky helped Brook replace the sign with the store’s proper name: Rumbar Music. Brook moved into the Thousand Sunny and filled a vacant room.

 

He met Jinbe when he was swimming. Jinbe was a lifeguard at the Fishman Pool that was towards the edge of town. Heat plus Luffy leads to a lot of complaining. Nami was completely fed up with him after the he whined about how hot he was for the fifty-sixth time.

“Okay! We get it!” Nami put her book down and sat up on the couch to look at Luffy who had been rolling on the ground. “There’s a pool a few blocks away. Why don’t we head there to-“

“A pool? Why didn’t you say so sooner! I’ll get Sanji to make us lunch to bring with,” Luffy exclaimed as he sprang up. Nami caught the vase he hit on his quick exit and steadied it. It was going to be a long day.

As eventful as the day was, it isn’t a true Straw Hat gathering until something gets out of hand. Or, in most cases, many things get out of hand. Zoro and Sanji argued like always. About everything. What did it matter that they had the same swim shorts but in yellow and green respectively? Franky got yelled at almost immediately for being too loud and screaming ‘super’ every other word.

Things really picked up when Luffy entered the water, though. As a seventeen year old, it was assumed he could swim or stay afloat at least somewhat. But no. The second he entered the water Luffy sank like a rock. Zoro panicked and moved to jump in but stopped at the loud whistle and sudden splash. Seconds later, he was pulled out by the lifeguard that had been following them since they came to the pool.

“You know…As one of the biggest family heads in the city I figured you would be a lot more careful about the situations you put yourself in…” Jinbe watched as Luffy coughed up a mouthful of water.

“A what? Is that food? I’m hungry. Sanji! Did you bring lunch? Do you want to eat with us swimmer-guy?” Jinbe blinked. This man –teenager- was one of the most dangerous and influential people in the city, at least for a rookie. And he was just invited to eat lunch with them.

“Sorry, I’m on duty. Maybe next time.”

Next time turned out to be a lot sooner than Jinbe thought. The Straw Hats returned to the pool every day after that. Or at least Luffy would. Who he came with depended on what the others were doing. Nami worked with Vivi on weekends, when the tea shop was busiest. Brook was at his music store every other day to make sure it was running smoothly. Robin had taken to visiting nearby libraries. Sanji covered the lunch and dinner rushes at the Baratie. Chopper helped out at Kureha’s clinic and Usopp was making art to sell once or so a week. Franky worked with Iceburg when asked to help construction move faster. Zoro usually accompanied Luffy wherever he went, unless Kuina desperately needed the day off and had no one to run the dojo.

No matter what, though, Jinbe noticed that Luffy never showed up anywhere alone. He smiled thinking of the way they would protect the raven haired teen and guard him. It reminded him of how Whitebeard was always seen with at least two of his men, or sons as he called them.

Awhile after Jinbe had first saved Luffy, the tension surrounding Fishman Pool began to grow. Many wanted to take over the area and replace the pool with a gym. They resorted to harassing the employees and vandalizing homes. Hody Jones, the main person inciting violence, decided to take it to the next step: fire.

Jinbe wasn’t surprised to overhear about a fire in an apartment while he was working. It was shocking to find out it was his. Neptune, the owner of the pool, let Jinbe go early to see the condition of his apartment. As soon as he got there he clenched his fists. Everything was burned. He didn’t care about the material objects that were destroyed. Those he could just replace. No, he was angry that Hody had seriously thought this was the best way to accomplish his goal. Jinbe was relieved it was his apartment that was ruined and not any of the other workers’. Camie had just moved out and wouldn’t be able to afford a new place.

“Is that your place, Jinbe?” The voice made him turn around. It was Luffy and the rest of his family.

“Yes,” Jinbe sighed. “I suppose I’ll have to start looking for a new home.”

“Luffy?” Zoro chimed in from the back, hands resting on his sword handle.

“Yeah. Let’s go, guys.” With that, the Straw Hats stood in a triangle with Luffy at the top. He wouldn’t let anyone mess with one of his friends. Not when he was around. The Straw Hats fought Hody and his men, taking them down with minimal effort and none of the usual lighthearted attitude they normally had when being involved with fights. This was too serious for that.

Hody didn’t want to go down without a fight. He stood no chance but he couldn’t just turn tail and run. He managed to stab Luffy in the shoulder before being taken out. Luffy glared at the unconscious man before turning away. Someone like Hody wasn't worth his time. The others followed suit and walked to the sidewalk. The ten of them sat on the curb of the street, watching the commotion die down.

“We have an extra room that you can use if you want, Jinbe.” Jinbe’s eyes widened at Luffy’s proposal. He never expected to become this close to a mafia family, let alone be invited to join one, but it was an offer he couldn’t refuse.


End file.
